


If Winter Comes, Can Spring Be Far Behind?

by MiniSnowAngel (ShadowRese)



Category: EXO (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Alternate Universe - Magic, Fae & Fairies, Fairy Tale Elements, M/M, Songfic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-11
Updated: 2020-01-11
Packaged: 2021-02-27 15:14:59
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,524
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22169230
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ShadowRese/pseuds/MiniSnowAngel
Summary: “Wake up, Jongdae. Wake up. You can’t be here.”He brought his arms up and grasped the sleeping man’s forearms, shaking him. “You have to go.” He felt something then, a force coming from deep within him, felt the cold in his hands and fingers as he squeezed.“Ah! That’s freezing!”Jongdae scrambled out of the blankets and away from Minseok, rubbing at his muscles. Minseok stared on in horror as red welts formed along Jongdae’s arms.“Did I- Jongdae, what? I don’t know what’s happening!” Minseok shook his head back and forth in denial.
Relationships: Kim Jongdae | Chen/Kim Minseok | Xiumin
Comments: 10
Kudos: 52
Collections: Song For You : The Second Album





	If Winter Comes, Can Spring Be Far Behind?

**Author's Note:**

> Prompt #357 Sieben Mal by Eisblume  
> Key Lyric “ Run away from me, I beg you go  
> Otherwise my cold will hurt you”

Deep in the heart of the ancient forest, far beyond the boundaries of the village, there stood a scattering of small, crudely built cottages. And in those cottages dwelt the ones known as outcasts, the ones believed to carry magic in their bloodlines. The people of the nearby village all feared the outcasts, and shunned them. The outcasts and normal folk did not associate with one another, yet they still kept a shaky, fragile peace. As long as each kept to their own side of the forest boundary, the status quo was maintained. 

Minseok had lived his entire life as an outcast, his family believed to have descended from the ice faeries who settled in the area after having lost their lands centuries ago in a brutal civil war that left their race decimated. And though no evidence of magic or ice powers had ever made themselves apparent in his family, nevertheless they remained as outcasts. 

As such, Minseok grew up a solitary child, no friends or playmates to keep him company. His mother had always warned him against going into the village, or interacting with any strangers who did attempt to make the long and arduous journey into the forest. 

“You must be cautious, my precious little angel,” his mother pleaded. “They fear us, and I cannot bear to think of what they might to do you, a helpless child, if the catch you alone.”

“Yes, mother,” Minseok promised obediently, over and over again.

And keep his oath he did, until the winter of his twenty fourth year. The snows had come early, and it had already been a long and savage winter. Most of the crops had died off quickly under the frigid temperatures, and the livestock hardly fared any better. The people of the village were facing a food shortage the likes of which had not been seen in many decades. 

More and more stray wanderers had been found in the forest as of late, becoming so desperate for food as they were. Some had even gone so far as to try and steal from the better prepared outcasts’ food stores. Minseok’s family had their pigpen broken into three nights past, and a small hog had gone missing. 

Because of this Minseok was out later than usual, having been working all afternoon at chopping down a tree in order to repair the damaged pen. He’d been at it for quite some time, and was nearly done cutting the felled tree into more manageable pieces when he heard the sound of someone singing from not too far away. It was a lovely sound, and it reminded Minseok of a soft, spring breeze, and a field of bright flowers. Somehow, the voice warmed him, his fingers loosening around the axe handle, no longer stiff with the chill of the darkening sky. 

The sweet song worked on Minseok like a magic tonic, giving him the strength to work until late in the evening all the wood split into decent length logs, fit for mending a broken fence with. He had even managed to collect some smaller, drier pieces for kindling, though they didn’t truly need it at all. But if living as an outcast had taught him anything, it was always better to have something and not need it, than to need it and not have it. Feeling extremely pleased with himself, and already tasting the bowl of steaming stew and crusty rolls that were his mother’s specialty, he set off for home. 

Pulling the cart along behind himself, and humming the tune he’d been listening to for the better part of that afternoon, Minseok completely missed the heap thrown at the edge of the narrow path through the trees. As he passed, the pile of fallen leaves came alive and grabbed his ankle, sending him sprawling with his hands out in front of him to brace his fall. 

He hit the ground, his slight frame bouncing, palms scraping against the uneven path. The young man cried out in surprise and pain, and quickly scrambled away from the thing the had reached out for him. 

“Help me, please… so cold…”

Minseok’s mouth dropped open in shock! It was a man on the ground, a young man, from the sound of his voice. The person was shivering, small body shaking uncontrollably; Minseok could hear the sound of teeth chattering from where he was.

He worried his bottom lip between his teeth, remembering all the warnings his mother had given him over the years, torn between his desire to help, and his instincts for self preservation. Only, the person huddled amongst the brittle grass didn’t seem at all dangerous. In fact, he appeared to need help, badly.

Tentatively, Minseok reached out and brushed the hood back from the stranger’s face, revealing a boy about his own age, with an angular jaw and high cheekbones. Even with his lips turning slightly blue, and frost gathering at the tips of his lashed, he was quite lovely, Minseok noted. Slowly, the boy opened his eyes, and locked them on Minseok.

“Please help me.”

Later on, if someone asked Minseok how long it took him to decide, he wouldn’t be able to answer. But in that moment, he pushed himself off the ground and removed his fur cloak to wrap around the boy’s shoulders. Carefully, he turned the boy over, lifting him gingerly and placing him into the small cart atop the neatly stacked wood. It wouldn’t be a comfortable ride, but it had to be better than freezing to death in the middle of the woods. 

By the time he reached home, it was fully dark. The sky had cleared, which meant that while it would not snow again that night, the temperature would surely plummet. Hurriedly, Minseok shoved the cart into the barn, sleeping boy and all. He left a small lantern burning low, before rushing inside the warm cottage. His mother’s questions would naturally be waiting for him, and Minseok still wasn’t sure what it was he would say to her about his lateness. 

“Mother, apologies for making you worry. I didn’t realize the hour.” He turned towards the small table, where his mother was seated. Behind her, the wood stove burned, a large cookpot on the fire, and the smell of roasted meat and vegetables wafted in his direction. 

He bowed to her, and tried his best to put on a sincere face, hoping she bought his tiny white lie, or that at the very least, was too worried over his state to pry any further.

“Minseok, where is your cloak? Do not tell me you came all the way home in this weather without it?” Widow Kim narrowed her eyes at her son, who was nothing if not meticulous. He wasn’t known for being the kind of empty headed boy to leave his belongings behind. 

“I… left it in the barn. I’ll go back and get it right now!” He turned to dash out the door, in a hurry to get away from her knowing stare. 

“No you won’t. Have some dinner first, you took no lunch with you and you’ve been gone for hours, childe.” Widow Kim clucked her tongue at her son, and stood to serve him a bowl of stew. 

Obediently, Minseok stepped forward to accept her offering, muttering a soft thanks as he did. He took a few small bites, hoping she would turn her attention away from him. His plan worked, since after a minute or two, she stood from the chair and wiped her hands on her apron. 

“The cloak can wait until morning. Finish your dinner and get cleaned up. You worked hard today, my son.”

“Thank you, Mother,” Minseok replied, smiling softly at her. Keeping the boy in the barn a secret from her was difficult, but he didn’t want her to worry. He also couldn’t bear to turn away the stranger. If the boy died because Minseok did not help him, he would never be able to forgive himself. 

As soon as his mother left him alone, he wasted no time in spooning more of the stew into his now empty bowl, and made sure to grab a piece of bread off the table as well. Peeking around the corner once to make sure no light came from beneath his mother’s door, Minseok hurried outside as quickly as he could, hoping he would find the boy still breathing when he made it back to him.

Something must have been smiling on him from above, because the first sight he saw when he opened the barn door was the young man sitting on the floor against the wall, eyes open if somewhat glassy and feverish. Cautiously, Minseok approached the figure still wrapped in his travelling cloak, food held out in front of him like an offering at the altar. 

“Hello,” he called out gently.

The boy looked in his direction, dark wavy hair falling into his face. His blue lips parted and he croaked out a greeting in return. Frowning at himself slightly, he cleared his throat, and tried again.

“Where am I? Have I died? Are you an angel?”

Minseok couldn’t help it. He laughed out loud. “No one has ever called me angel, except for my mother, and no you’re not dead.”

The boy only looked more confused. “Then where am I? And who are you?”

Crouching down in front of the stranger, Minseok pressed the bowl of stew into his chilled fingers. “Eat first, then questions.”

When the boy only looked back skeptically, Minseok huffed. “I could have just left you where I found you. Why would I bring you all the way back to my home just to poison you with venison stew?”

“Good point,” answered the stranger. Ravenously, he began gobbling down the food, nearly choking once or twice in the process. 

Minseok watched in silence the entire time, curious as to who this young man was and where he came from. Minseok knew all the other outcast young men, all two of them in fact. So this boy, with his tailored clothes and fancy but now ruined boots must have been from the village. So he sat amongst the straw scattered on the floor, for his guest to finish eating, hoping that he might get some answers. 

Finally, after ages of waiting, the young man set the bowl down, having mopped up the last of the savory sauce with the bread. Most of the color had returned to his face, and he no longer looked as though he were on the verge of frostbite. Minseok attempted to smile encouragingly at him. 

“You look much better. Are you feeling well?”

The young man nodded, his face open and grateful at Minseok’s kindness. “My name is Jongdae.” He bowed his head in greeting, and Minseok returned the gesture. 

“I’m Minseok. I found you in the woods, freezing, and nearly unconscious. I couldn’t just leave you out there, so I brought you here to my home. We’re in the barn now, only because I don’t know that my mother would approve of me bringing home a strange man from the village.”

“You have my thanks then, Minseok. May I call you by your name?” 

Minseok nodded in assent.

“What were you doing out here in the woods anyway?”

“I was ice fishing in the pond. I had hoped to catch enough to supplement my dwindling supplies. I suppose you can see how that turned out.” Jongdae looked down sheepishly.

Reaching out, Minseok patted his new acquaintance on the shoulder. “A noble effort.”

Jongdae sighed, lips set into a dejected line. “All I did was manage to nearly fall into the ice, lose my cloak, and all the fish.” 

As he spoke, he seemed to take notice of the fur lined cloak he wore. His cat like eyes widened in embarrassment, and he hurried to try and remove the garment.

“I’m wearing your cloak!”

Minseok laughed again, husky and rich, mouth opened wide, lovely white teeth on full display. “Yes, you are. It looks very good on you, I must say. It’s fox fur, and orange has never been my color.”

Jongdae’s cheeks flushed under the compliment, his mouth opening and closing on air like a carp. With shaking hands, he attempted to shrug the cloak off his shoulders, but Minseok wouldn’t have it. 

“It’ll be cold out here tonight. I would suggest you hold onto that.”

When Jongdae tried to protest further, Minseok quieted him with a stern look. “I wish I could offer you a warm bed in my house, but I think it’s better if no one finds out you’re here. Keep the cloak, at least for tonight. You’ll need it. You can set off for home in the morning.”

Jongdae would have liked to argue, but he saw the logic in Minseok’s words. A good night’s sleep would do him wonders, and he could leave in the morning, and forget all about his little misadventure in the woods. “Thank you again, Minseok. I will surely find a way to repay your generosity.”

“No need to thank me, it’s what any decent human being would do.”

Jongdae said goodnight, and watched Minseok walk out the door, not certain that the other man was entirely correct in his assessment. 

**********

The following morning, Minseok rose before the sun, and while the morning was still cold, he found it to be more tolerable than the previous evening’s sky had predicted. As he washed his face in a basin of water heated on the fireplace, he thought of the stranger out in the barn. He hoped Jongdae had been able to sleep well. 

More cheerful than he had felt in months, Minseok whistled softly to himself, careful not to wake his mother or younger sister. Minkyung had been asleep already by the time Minseok made it home the night before, thank goodness for small miracles. The two of them were quite close, but Minkyung had a tendency toward the nosey. 

After dressing for the day, he gathered a small basket and began loading it up with items he would send Jongdae back to the village with. The young man was still in need of sustenance, and though their larder might not be overflowing with food, the Kims were doing more than fine. A few supplies to keep a needy person fed would hurt no one. 

He wrapped some salted venison, some dried fish, and a dozen eggs carefully. Into the basket, he also placed some rolls, and a cabbage, some radishes, and a few potatoes. It wasn’t much, but if Jongdae were smart, Minseok was sure this would get him through the toughest days ahead. Afterall, winter couldn’t last much longer, could it?

A bounce in his step that hadn’t been there before, Minseok stole away to the barn. Upon entering, he discovered Jongdae already awake, and looking somewhat nervous. He smiled widely though when he saw Minseok, lips curved into a cat’s cheeky grin, making Minseok’s heart skip a beat.

He was sure he’d never seen a creature as striking as Jongdae before, making him wonder if perhaps the other man weren’t the one of fae descent. Before meeting Jongdae, the loveliest person he’d known was Yixing, and there was no denying the magic in that man’s blood. Yixing was a healer through and through, and he would have been the only one Minseok would have trusted last night had Jongdae been seriously injured. 

“Looks like you’re ready to be off, then,” Minseok chuckled, one arm holding onto the basket, and the other stretched out to offer Jongdae a small breakfast of hard biscuits with a few slices of bacon tucked inside.

Jongdae’s eyes widened as his stomach growled, betraying him. “I don’t know how to thank you for your kindness, Minseok,” he said around a mouthful of biscuit, a few stray crumbs falling from his mouth to his evident horror. 

“I told you, no need to thank me. I’m just glad I found you when I did.” He flashed his most sincere smile at Jongdae, who looked a bit lost for a moment as he stared into Minseok’s clear, brown eyes. 

Shaking his head as though to clear it, Jongdae cleared his throat and shrugged himself out of Minseok’s fox fur cloak. When he tried to pass it back to Minseok, the other man shook his head.

“No, you should keep that. It’s still a bit nippy outside, and you have a long walk back to the village.”

“Oh no, I couldn’t! What about you?”

Minseok put on an offended face. “I know I am an outcast, but do you think I am so lacking as to have only one cloak?”

Cheeks and ears turning bright red, Jongdae stammered. “No, I meant no offense. I’m sorry! Forgive my rudeness-”

Jogndae wrung his hands, his face becoming redder by the second, until Minseok took pity on him. 

“I’m only teasing. And you’re right, it’s my only cloak. I’ve never cared for the way it looks on me, though.”

When Jongdae tried again to press the garment into Minseok’s hand, he again refused, assuring the younger man he would be fine with his father’s old hand me down cloak instead. It took no small amount of cajoling to get Jongdae to finally agree, however.

Minseok offered to see Jongdae to the path through the forest, and the two of them walked in relative silence, each lost in their own thoughts. The sun shone down upon them, helping keep the chill somewhat at bay. It was the kind of winter day that promises spring would be just around the corner, and the two of them hoped it would be so. 

“Well, this is where we say goodbye,” Minseok sighed. “Just stay on the path, and do not stray from it, and you should find yourself at the northern edge of the village in a couple of hours time.”

Nodding solemnly, Jongdae stretched out his arm in farewell. Minseok grasped it, and they held on for a beat of a heart, before letting go.

“I should like to return and thank you properly, someday.”

“No, it’s better for both of us if you don’t. Most of my people don’t trust villagers, and I don’t think your family or neighbors would be happy to know you’ve made a friend of an outcast.” There was no denying the bitterness in Minseok’s tone.

Sadly, Jongdae nodded. “Well then, farewell my faerie savior,” he answered, making an attempt at humor to lighten the mood. 

It worked, because Minseok smiled and waved Jongdae down the path. He didn’t want to wait and see Jongdae’s back as he walked away, so Minseok turned and made for home. 

Reaching the crest of the hill, he heard a sweet tune carried on the winter wind, but he didn’t let himself turn back.

**********

A week had passed since Minseok had seen Jongdae off, and the weather had broken it’s promise. Spring did not return, Winter stubbornly refusing to be dismissed so easily. The warmth had lasted two days, and had then been promptly chased away by the coldest air of the season yet. What started as a biting rain had quickly turned to ice and more snow, and the ground was covered in a thick, white blanket that had villagers and outcasts alike shivering inside their homes. 

Minkyung had teased Minseok, telling him the weather must be tied to his mood, as he had been unpleasant all week long. He pointedly ignored his younger sister, and instead threw himself into fighting off the elements as best he could. Every day, he shoveled the snow away from their door, and did what he could to reinforce the insulation in the barn, needing to keep the animals warm. He set his traps daily, bringing home a few rabbits for his mother to cook. On the seventh day, he took his father’s bow down from it’s place on the wall, and set off to hunt for bigger game.

He hadn’t made it far when he came across human tracks in the freshly fallen snow. From the look of them, they belonged to someone from the village, the edges too pronounced to belong to any of the outcasts and their homemade boots. 

The tracks criss crossed over themselves once or twice, and Minseok was sure whoever this foolish visitor was, they had managed to get themselves lost in the forest. Cursing loudly, he decided to double back, feeling uncomfortable leaving his mother and sister alone while some stranger was wandering around their woods.

His unease grew as he chanced upon the tracks again closer to his home, this time coming from the opposite direction. He hurried home in a rush, hoping his family was safe. As his cottage came into view, his worst fears were realized as he saw the tracks leading right to his door. 

Crouching down behind the well, Minseok left the bow and quiver of arrows on the hard ground, instead drawing his hunting knife, the wicked blade sharpened and polished to a gleaming steel. Quietly he crept towards the cottage, straining his ears for any sounds coming from beyond the door. 

Hearing nothing, the young outcast ran the last few steps, and kicked open the door with a bang. 

Inside, someone shouted, and a loud crash came from the kitchen. “Get away from them!” Minseok screamed in anger and fear. If this person had hurt his mother or sister, they would pay with blood. 

“Minseok!” 

“Mother, Minkyung are you alright? Where is he?” He looked around the house wildly, his eyes finally landing on a scene he was unable to comprehend.

His mother and sister stood on the other side of the table, Jongdae in front of them, brandishing one of their wooden chairs in Minseok’s direction. He seemed to be protecting them from something, but for the life of him Minseok couldn’t figure out who or what. “Jongdae?”

Jongdae lowered the chair slowly, body still tense and ready to spring.

“What are you doing here? Who else is in the house?” Minseok was still holding up his hunting knife, fingers clenched tightly around the hilt. 

Widow Kim pushed her daughter and Jongdae aside and came forward to face her son. “Minseok, put that knife down this instant! That is no way to greet a guest, especially not one who has come bearing such extravagant gifts!”

She pointed towards the sitting area, where a pair of exquisitely made boots rested on the floor, and three beautiful cloaks of varying shades of fur were draped across the arm of the room’s only chair.

Minseok stared at the clothes dumbly, then looked questioningly at Jongdae. The other man mirrored his stare. Between the two of them, one might have wondered if there was even one functioning brain, based on the blank looks they were giving each other.

As usual, it would be Minkyung to snap her brother out of his trance. “Seok, why did you not tell us you had met a villager?”

“I- uh, well, um…”

**********

“You shouldn’t have come here,” Minseok hissed at Jongdae when they were seated around the fire later that evening. “I almost killed you! I thought you were attacking my mother and sister!”

“I’m sorry! I just wanted to bring these gifts to you.” Jongdae gestured behind them as Minkyung sat prettily and admired herself in front of a looking glass, now draped in the cloak of white rabbit fur that Jongdae had brought for her. 

Widow Kim had retired for the evening after having enjoyed dinner with their guest, her own new cloak having found its way to her bedroom to keep her warm on this frigid night.

Absently, Minseok ran his fingers over the gift Jongdae had presented him with, a traveling cloak made of black wolf fur, tailored exactly to Minseok’s proportions, and matching his black hair perfectly. Jongdae’s eyes had lit up in appreciation when Minseok had tried the garment on earlier, and Widow Kim had declared her son to be the most handsome of all the outcast young men, to which Jongdae readily agreed.

“You don’t know any other outcasts,” Minseok had replied, his cheeks tinged pink from what Minseok would insist was simply the cold. 

Now though, he didn’t feel a bit cold as he sat side by side with Jongdae, their heads bent low together, close enough for Minseok to notice stray flecks of gold in Jongdae’s chestnut colored eyes. He wasn't sure if it was the reflection of the fire dancing there or not, but Minseok thought he could happily spend the rest of the night trying to find out. 

Jongdae, however, noticed Minkyung staring, and coughed quietly. 

“You should get to bed now, Min-min.”

“That’s not fair! Why do you get to hog Jongdae all to yourself?” his sister whined, even as she stood from the chair.

“Because he’s my friend, and he came to see me.” Minseok retorted, knowing full well he sounded like a possessive child quibbling over a new toy. 

She grumbled the whole way, but still she gave them their privacy, sticking out her tongue and waggling her eyebrows behind Jongdae’s back. The look Minseok threw her could have frozen her solid, but she only laughed silently before darting off down the hallway.

“Thank you, Jongdae,” Minseok said gently once his sister had disappeared. “You shouldn’t have come, though.”

“I didn’t want to leave things as they were. If it weren’t for you, I would have frozen to death in the forest, and no one would have found my body until late spring at this rate.”

“Well, at least you won’t need to sleep in the barn this time.”

The two young men shared a laugh, and Minseok felt his breath catch when Jongdae tilted his head up, exposing the lines of his neck. 

“I’ll go get the mat,” he said, standing up sharply and making a quick exit. There was no denying it, he found Jongdae beautiful; his smile, and his sharp eyes, the way he laughed with his whole being, and the way he blushed when he noticed Minseok staring too intently, face turning into a sculpture made from the finest rose gold. 

Sleeping next to Jongdae would be the most delicious torture, but his mother had insisted Jongdae stay the night. The two of them worked to lay out the sleeping mat and blankets on the sitting room floor. Settling down, and the two young men snuggled as deep into the covers as they could in attempt to stave off the winter night.

*************

Jongdae stayed a week, and every night the two young men slept pressed close together. During the days, he helped Minseok with chores, or sometimes helping Widow Kim with her mending and darning.

“I’m a tailor by trade,” he had laughed when Minseok looked on in puzzlement. “Where do you think those cloaks came from? That’s all my handiwork.”

Minseok couldn’t help but be impressed. Every day that passed, he found himself being drawn further in to Jongdae’s orbit. He radiated kindness and the brightest golden light Minseok had ever experienced. 

Minkyung teased him mercilessly, telling him that Jongdae was like Minseok’s own personal sunshine. And in part it was true, the weather had begun to finally turn. It hadn’t snowed a single flake since Jongdae had been with them, since he had been with Minseok. 

The evenings were filled with warmth and sense of home that had been missing for the older man all his life. And on the seventh night, Jongdae sang by the firelight, Minkyung dancing and twirling behind them, his mother looking on with the most contented smile on her face, and Minseok was sure nothing in his life would ever be more perfect.

It was very late when the two of them finally settled in for the night. Minseok had begged for song after song from Jongdae, who went right on singing until his voice grew hoarse, content to give Minseok anything and eveything he asked for. Widow Kim is the one who put a stop to it, insisting that Jongdae rest and that Minseok stop imposing on the poor boy. 

“Don’t you want him to have a voice tomorrow, my stubborn angel? Let him rest, and I suggest you do the same. Into bed with you both, now,” she admonished, but with a mischievous grin on her face. 

“Yes, ma’am,” Jongdae replied. “I’ll just put out the kitchen lantern. Dutifully, he waited until he was certain the women were in their rooms and no longer needed the light, then darted to the kitchen while Minseok climbed in between the covers. 

Stripping down to his undergarments, Jongdae dove into the blankets Minseok held open for him. Even though the days were warmer, the nights still carried a bite to them. In the midst of the burrowing, their hands brushed, and Jongdae drew back sharply, and exclaimed.

“Minseok, you’re freezing! Your hands, give them to me, let me help warm you.”

In a daze, Minseok let Jongdae take his hands, watched from somewhere outside his body as the other man grasped them tightly, lifted them to his lips, and exhaled. The warmth of Jongdae’s breath travelled down Minseok’s fingertips to his palms, thawing him from a chill he hadn’t even felt. 

So this was what it was like to be warm. Had he been cold his whole life, and never known it? Suddenly being so close to Jongdae was almost like plunging his hands into fire, only he wasn’t singed. He didn’t burn or blister, he simply melted.

Throwing all caution to the wind, he leaned forward, nuzzling his head into the crook of Jongdae’s shoulder, breathing in deeply. He closed his eyes, and saw and felt the sun shining down upon him. He smelled flowers, and damp earth after a warm spring rain.

“Jongdae,” he sighed. He had never felt more at home or at peace than he did then. “Jongdae…”

“Minseok, can I kiss you?

He didn’t use words to respond. Instead Minseok moved forward, and pressed his lips firmly to Jongdae’s. They fit together perfectly, no awkwardness or hesitation between them. And when Jongdae tugged at the hem of Minseok’s shirt, and pressed his warm palm to Minseok’s waist, the older man couldn’t keep his feelings hidden any longer. 

He pulled Jongdae closer, kissed along his jawline, down the sweet column of his throat. The younger responded eagerly, and together the two of them moved. In the back of his mind, a warning went off, but Minseok refused to listen to it. With Jongdae’s warm body beneath his, and his hot breath moaning Minseok’s name in his ear, he didn’t care how many tomorrows they had. 

  
  


**********

Morning came and Minseok woke to something soft and fine tickling at his nose. He batted it away without opening up his eyes, only to be greeted by a loud, offended whine. 

Sleep deserting him, Minseok snapped to attention, getting a face full of Jongdae’s fluffy morning hair. A pair of arms tightened around his middle, and Minseok, never one to be a coward, looked down in horror to see the same said young man clinging to his waist. 

Everything came back him in a rush. Kissing Jongdae, holding him, Jongdae giving himself to Minseok so willingly. Suddenly Minseok felt the weight of what they had done settle on his back. 

_No, this was wrong. This could not happen._ Whatever this thing was between them, it could come to no good. The villagers would revile and shun Jongdae if it were to be known he was consorting with an outcast. No, Minseok had to put an end to this, today. He should have known better. He was the older one, he was the outsider. He could only bring Jongdae pain and suffering. It was better to let him go cleanly.

“Hey, Jongdae. Wake up. You need to leave.”

“I don’t want to. This is nice, I like it here.”

Minseok huffed angrily. “Wake up, Jongdae. Wake up. You can’t be here.” 

He brought his arms up and grasped the sleeping man’s forearms, shaking him. “You have to _go_.” He felt something then, a force coming from deep within him, felt the cold in his hands and fingers as he squeezed.

“Ah! That’s freezing!”

Jongdae scrambled out of the blankets and away from Minseok, rubbing at his muscles. Minseok stared on in horror as red welts formed along Jongdae’s arms. 

“Did I- Jongdae, what? I don’t know what’s happening!” Minseok shook his head back and forth in denial. He was close to panicking, he couldn’t breathe and the room was spinning. He tried to stand up, and stumbled, throwing out his hands to try and find balance. When he touched the edge of the doorframe, frost spread out from the point of contact with his skin, and thin layer of ice crystals encasing the wood.

“Hey, Minseok! Stop, look at me, breathe! Breathe!” Jongdae shouted. The younger came up behind Minseok and forced him to turn around. He wrapped his arms around Minseok and held on tightly, speaking gently to him all the while, keeping up a litany of soft words. “It’s fine, you’re fine. I’m here, I won’t let you go. I love you, Minseok.”

Slowly, Minseok began to relax; he stopped struggling in Jongdae’s arms and let himself be comforted. He wasn’t sure how long it lasted, but eventually, he came back to himself, his heart resuming a normal beat in his chest instead of the frantic pace it had been set on. 

Sometime during his outburst, Minkyung and Widow Kim had made their way to the sitting room, and both women stared worriedly at them. 

“Seok, what happened?” 

Minseok couldn’t answer, so Jongdae did his best to explain. 

“And then he just stopped icing over. I don’t know what happened.”

Widow Kim looked from one boy’s face to the other, her expression unreadable. “It was you, Jongdae.”

“No, he didn’t do anything wrong!” Minseok looked to his mother desperately

“That’s not what I meant, my son. I mean he calmed you down and kept you from losing control. I’ve always known you were special, that you were different. I don’t know why after so many years the frost manifested itself in you, but it has.”

“No, I don’t want it! Take it back, make it go away! Mother, please!” Minseok was crying, hands clawing at Jongdae’s arms. If he couldn’t make his lover go, then he needed to get out, to run, to be anywhere but here. Where he might hurt the people he cared most about.

“Let me go, Jongdae!” Using every ounce of his strength, Minseok broke free from Jongdae’s grip and ran from the house. He wore no boots and only a thin undershirt and pants, but the frost and snow had no effect on him. As he ran, the sky began to drop tiny shards of ice that tinkled as they hit the ground, but Minseok felt none of it. 

The further he ran, the more miserable he felt. Finally, he found himself at the edge of the pond that Jongdae had come to fish in on the day the two of them met. It was heavily iced over and Minseok chanced a glance down at his reflection.

What he saw horrified him! His eyes had turned from a dark, deep brown to an icy, pale silvery, blue. It made him appear even more pale and death-like, his inky, black hair giving him the appearance of some otherworldly wraith. 

Minseok fell to his knees and wailed. He could never be with Jongdae, especially now. Forget the fact that they were from different worlds, Minseok was a monster. If Jongdae came close to him, he would kill him. And then what would be the point of it all? 

He stood, and looked back the way he had come. It was beautiful while it had lasted, but reality had reached in and grabbed Minseok from the inside, one clawed, icy-taloned hand pushing its way into his head to turn his sweet dreams into cold nightmares. His tears fell freely, turning into frosty tracks down his cheeks. 

“Minseok! Minseok, come back!”

Whirling around, he saw Jongdae struggling through the snow, Minseok’s old cloak hanging from his shoulders, the new wolf pelt cloak clutched in his arms. 

“No, Jongdae, turn back, run! Don’t come any closer to me! I don’t want to hurt you!” Minseok’s screams echoed on the cold winter wind. 

“You won’t hurt me. I love you, and you love me. Do you not?”

Minseok wanted to deny it, knew that if he did, it would make Jongdae turn from him. But he couldn’t bring himself to. 

“I do. I love you, Jongdae, but that’s why you must go. Run as far from me as you can!”

Jongdae wouldn’t give up. He kept walking, his feet sinking down into the snow bank, ears and nose turning red. He pushed right up to Minseok, who had curled in on himself, his small form trembling, hugging himself in an effort to keep his cold in. 

“No, I won’t go.” Jongdae leaned forward and threw the cloak he had made for Minseok around him, enveloping his lover’s form, before pulling him in for an embrace. 

Minseok was too tired to protest. His body sagged, and he cried, pushing weakly at Jongdae. “Please, don’t. What if I hurt you?”

“You won’t. I know you won’t.” Jongdae murmured against Minseok’s ear, running his hands down Minseok’s back soothingly.

Slowly, as the minutes passed, the ice stopped raining down on them. The clouds began to break apart, and the sun’s rays bathed them in warm light. Minseok’s tears no longer left rivulets of ice down his face, but real, hot salted tears fell from eyes that had regained their color. 

“You see? There is nothing to fear. As long as you love me, I will always bring your winter to a close.”

**********

Minseok and Jongdae were married in the Spring, in the meadow behind the pond. Jongdae wore a tunic of gold and cream, yellow flowers woven into his hair by Minkyung, while Minseok donned an outfit of powder blue, and a spray of baby’s breath rested as a crown upon his head. Yixing presided over the small ceremony, that consisted of Minseok’s family, and his only other friend, Kyungsoo. A few villagers attended as well, including Jongdae’s best friends, Baekhyun and Chanyeol. Despite a rocky introduction, they all seemed to get on quite well after a few cups of wine and a shared meal. 

There was music, laughter, and dancing, that lasted late into the night, all beneath a bright, white, April moon. The sweet, intoxicating perfume of the flowers made the guests giddy, and made the grooms hold each other that much tighter. Minseok would never entirely be rid of the cold in his heart, for he would always be a childe of Winter; Jongdae would always belong to the Spring. And they would both belong to each other forever more. 

  
  
  


**Author's Note:**

> I thought this song had a wonderful premise, and the vocals on it were both haunting and ethereal. Dear prompter, I hope you enjoyed this. 
> 
> If you all get a chance, please listen to this song.


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